Why Michigan State Should Explore an EDGE in the Transfer Portal
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As the 2025 college football season winds down, coaching staffs across the country are shifting their focus toward the upcoming January transfer portal window and preparing for the chaos that comes with it.
Michigan State and new head coach Pat Fitzgerald are expected to be very active in the portal once it opens to address the roster's most pressing needs, but will the Spartans consider adding a pass rusher?
Will the Spartans Target a Transfer Portal Pass Rusher?
While Michigan State's defense had numerous issues in 2025, it's hard to identify a bigger area of concern than the Spartans' lack of pass rush.
Michigan State finished the season with 22 sacks, and no player on the team recorded more than 2.5. Getting after the quarterback is crucial to any team's defensive success, and landing an elite EDGE from the portal would undoubtedly help the Spartans improve in that area in 2026.
Fitzgerald prides himself on having a physical defensive front, so it is expected that he'll actively look to add talent to the unit once the portal officially opens. If the Spartans ultimately decide to target a transfer portal EDGE, here are a few who would make the most sense to bring in.
Two Transfer Portal EDGEs Michigan State Could Target
1) Joshua Burnham, Notre Dame
Joshua Burham was a four-star recruit in the 2022 class from Traverse City, Michigan. The Spartans pursued him as a high school recruit, but he ultimately committed to Notre Dame. He has spent the last four years with the Fighting Irish and has performed well, totaling 65 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and six sacks.
Burham enters the portal with one year of eligibility remaining and would likely consider returning to his home state to play for the Spartans in his final college season. He'd be a great addition to Michigan State's defense, as 247Sports' transfer portal rankings list him as a three-star prospect, the No. 77 overall player in the portal, and the No. 11 EDGE.
2) Tyler Thompson, UNC
Tyler Thompson was a four-star recruit from Carry, North Carolina, in the 2023 recruiting class and committed to UNC out of high school. He's spent the last three seasons with the Tar Heels and is coming off a career season in which he recorded 25 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and seven sacks.
Thompson enters the portal with two years of eligibility remaining and would be an immediate upgrade for Michigan State's defense. 247Sports' transfer portal rankings list him as a three-star prospect, the No. 161 overall player in the portal, and the No. 18 EDGE.
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Max Doresy serves as the Western United States College Recruiting Beat Writer On SI. He graduated from the prestigious Syracuse University – S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Before that, he worked for the Pro Football Network and was part of the recruiting department for Syracuse University's football program.